Monday, July 4, 2011

Northwest LHIN's promotes Home First

The Northwest Health Integration Network says its trying to find ways of dealing with the shortage of long term care beds in the region.

The LHIN's is trying to expand its Home First initative into communities outside of Thunder Bay.

Chief Executive Officer, Laura Kokochinski says they have been meeting with stakeholders in Kenora about improving access to home care.

Kokochinski says by offering home care services, they hope to free up Alternate Level of Care beds at the hospital, which has been faced with overcrowded beds for months now.

Support for Keewatin Library

The Kenora Public Library is being taken to task for threatening to axe services at the Keewatin branch.

Councillor Sharon Smith is reacting to a report released last month by the Library Board about its funding.

Smith says the Keewatin Branch of the Library isn't the problem.

Smith says the community of Keewatin has raised money for the Keewatin Library and the Library has also benefited greatly from a trust fund set aside for library services in the community.

Land Ambulence Funding increased for KDSB

The Kenora District Services Board is getting closer to a 50/50 funding arrangement with the province for land ambulence service.

Dan McNeill is the CAO of the Kenora District Services Board and says they are about 75-thousand dollars short of a Ministry of Health commitment made 4-years ago.

The surplus will be kept in reserves for future projects.

More Forest Fires reported in the Region

There were seven new forest fires reported over the weekend across Northwestern Ontario.

3 of the fires were in the Sioux Lookout District, one in Dryden and one in Red Lake.

The Ministry of Natural Resources continues to pay close attention to the nearly 66-thousand hectare fire burning near New Osnaburgh First Nation.

Although, residents have returned home, an Emergency Area Order remains in effect with some travel restrictions.

The fire is still not under control.

Men Fined for Camping on Crown Land

Two Atikokan have been fined a total of 12-hundred dollars for camping on Crown land for more than 21 days.

Dennis and Robert Lacosse were charged after Ministry of Natural Resource conservation officers had found their trailers parked in a restricted camping area at Eye Lake in April 2010.

After leaving notices on the trailers, officers returned in mid-May to find the trailers had not been moved.

CJRL becomes the Lake

CJRL is enjoying a bit of a make over.

Kenora's radio station is being re-branded as 895 The Lake.

Station manager Mark Duggan says that also includes a change to the music format.

Duggan adds that the station will continue to be a major supporter of local community events.

The official change in format took place Thurday afternoon.